Middletowners Team Up for Relay for Life

The Greater Middletown Relay For Life "Celebrations" will be held this weekend, Saturday, June 9 starting at noon continuing through Sunday, June 10 at noon.  The Track on Hunting Hill Avenue will have over 50 team sites with tents, canopies, lawn chairs and celebration decorations. 

There are over 550 pre-registered participants who will take turns walking around the track for the duration of the 24 hour Relay with an additional 400 expected to attend.  One person from each of the 50 plus teams will be on the track at all times.   

Opening Ceremonies will begin at 4:00 pm.  The Relay Committee of 2012 will be introduced by Chairwoman Amy Hughes and Co-Chairwoman Becky Godwin.  The National Anthem will be sung by Maria Malafronte, followed by remarks from the Honorable Mayor Daniel Drew & Survivor Speaker Claudia White.

 At 4:30 pm, the first Lap of Relay For Life is the Survivor Lap.  Cancer Survivors are invited to come and walk the first lap.  This lap is very emotional and hopeful to see so many people who DO survive cancer!  The second lap is the Caregiver lap with their Survivors followed by the Birthday Lap. 

The American Cancer Society celebrates more birthdays of Survivors with the support of Relay For Life.   A reception and dinner will immediately follow to honor the Survivors and their Caregivers.  Scheduled are games and entertainment with live music by David Goclowski.  After 5:00 pm Middletown Kempo Karate and Tribal De Luna-Belly Dancers will entertain on the blacktop stage area.  We CELEBRATE our Survivors.

 At 7:00 pm is the All Teams & Banner Lap. Each team will display their team banner and individual team theme for Relay Celebrations.  It is wonderful to see the very small and much older celebrate the team’s success while sharing in the Relay spirit with all the other teams. 

Teams will continue to raise funds with on site fundraisers, games, face painting, bead a lap necklaces, basket chances & many other unique fundraisers- all donating each dollar to the American Cancer Society while adding additional funds to their team dollar totals. 

 In the evening at 8:30 pm the Torch and Luminaria Ceremony will begin.  White bags with candles in each are placed around the track and lit.  Each bag has a story to tell, each one is in honor of a cancer survivor or in memory of someone who has lost their battle with cancer.  The candlelit bags line the track and light the way for Relay participants to  walk throughout the night.  At 9:00 pm the Luminaira & Torch Ceremony continues with a Caregiver Poem and a Silent Lap with Bagpipes played by Don Dixon. 

This silent lap is to honor those we Remember this year.  Families and Friends walk with their individual family torches and walk with others only lit by the candle lights and torches surroundings the track. Names are displayed on the overhead screen; We REMEMBER those we have lost to cancer.      

 From10:00 pm -12:00 midnight Dance Party with DJ Sean Fresh, followed by quiet laps and movies from Midnight until 8:00 am on Sunday. 

 In the morning there will be a Team Captain Lap at 9:00 am followed by a dance performance by Stage Left Dance and exhibition by Cromwell Martial Arts.  Closing Ceremonies will begin at 11:00 am, there will be a butterfly release followed by the team drawings and the Relay Awards for 2012.    We FIGHT BACK to continue until there is a cure for cancer.  The final Victory Lap will be lead by Committee Members and conclude Relay 2012 by 12 noon.

This fight is not over after this Relay. The Fight against cancer will continue to raise awareness about cancer and raise funds to support the research, education, advocacy and patient services vital to the mission of the American Cancer Society.  We CELEBRATE, REMEMBER & FIGHT BACK!

 For additional information visit on the web:  www.relayforlife.org/middletownct